Machine for cutting, packaging, and unwinding metallic leaf.



APPLIC L. IVI. HARWOOD.

MACHINE TCR CUTTING, PACKAGING, AND UNWINDING METALLIC LEAF.

ATION FILED )ANI 26, i915.

'Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

AT'ToRA-EYN LEON M. HA'RWOOD, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

' 'MACHINE FOR CUTTING, PACKAGING. A-ND 'UNWINDING METALLC Specification of Letters Patent.

Appli-cation led January 26, 1915. Sere1No.4,552.

fo @ZZ Iwhom it may cof/iowa.'

Be it known that I, LnoN Malerin HAI:- woon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting, Packaging, and Unwimlingib Metallic Leaf, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for cutting, packaging, and unwinding metallic leaf.

In the manufacture of package rolls of metallic leaf, heretofore, a preliminary roll has first been formed by winding the lapped sheets of metallic leaf upon a cylindrical core of wood or other suitable substance, together with the required supporting strip of paper and then dividing the preliminary roll, thus formed, intopackage rolls of the desired widths. There are objections to these styles of rolls. First,-the extra time required and thel loss of gold in lapping for a continuous strip. Second,-in the cutting'j of the preliminary roll to the smaller widths, there is a loss of gold. and trouble is experienced in loosening` of the cores contained by them. rl`hird,-when .there are s0 many widths required, it necessitates a. user to carry a large stock of the various widths, and time is required to make the necessary adjustments.

ln my device, the leaf need -not be lapped in a continuous manner, but is spaced on the supporting strip; the l'n-eliininary roll need not be divided into smaller rolls of the smaller widths as in this device 'the leaf is divided into the requi red widths by cutting the full width roll in the process of unwind ing. The device is applicable, however. to any size or width of commercial roll of lapped metallic lea ves.` Further. in the packaging of`metallic leaf in the roll form, heretofore, the beaten leaf has first been cut or trimmed on a cutting cushion, then the leaf has been placed directly on a conveyer table of a packaging roll gold machine; or the leaf has been taken from the cushion, packed in book form. and then placed on the conreyer or table of the pzmkaging ma chine. By this device, the conveyer or table of the packaging` machine serves also as the cutting` place for the beaten leaf, and the original cutting table may be dispensed with.

Referring to the 'h'awings-ld`igure l is a side elevational view showing the two supporting drums, the endless conveyer supported by these drums. a roll of the supporting strip on which the metallic leaf is wound, together with the suction box, pressure wheel, and leaf-cutting knives; Fig. Q is a transversesectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig'. 1 showing the relative location of thc suppmting` strips, pressure wheels, the cutting knives, and suction box;` and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one end of the suction box and one of the cutters passing through the gold Vleaf and its supportingstrip and engaging the endless` perforated conveyer.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l is a platform or supporting base member on which are placed the uprights 2 and 3 for rotatably supporting the drums 4 and 5 on the bearings (i and 'i'. The drain t is adapted to be actuated by means of the handle 8. Passingr around these drums is an endless perforated conveyer 9 which is composed of some material that will not dull the cutters a-nd one that can be readily perforated, as very thin sheet Zinc, for example. Located between the drums and the framework 10 is a suction box 11.

'l2 designates an upright in which the roll of supporting strip for the gold leaf is rotatably mounted, as indicated at 13. This upright is formed with an elongated slot 14 in order to readily permit the shaft 15 to rise and fallas the roll unwinds. 1G designates an elongated slot at the upper end of this standard 12 to receive the pivot. 17 of the weight 18. 4This weight is for the purpose of preventing vthe supporting strip from feeding too fast as it is drawn from the roll, as will be described in the operationof the machine.

19 are pressure Wheels which come into contact with the outer edge 20 only of the paper supporting strip which is indicated at Q0, thegold leaf being indicated at 21, most clearly in Fig. 3.

Attached to the side of the sucticn box l1 are bracket arms which rotatabiy support Patentes oet. s, iets. Y

the cutter shaft 23 on which the thin disk cutters 24: are mounted. These cutters are designed to be laterally moved on the shaft 23 by loosening the set screws 25.v

26 designates a suitable suction device for i exhausting theV air from the suction chamber l1, the suction device being connected thereu .strip will'be held to the perforated con- I to by means of a pipe 27.

The operation of my device may be described as follows: Considering the drum 4 to be rotated by the handle 8,.the supporting as-the' handle 8 is rotated. Thesupporting strip is kept tight by means of the pressure rollers 19 and the weight 18 on the preliminary or package roll 13. It will be noticed, from Fig. 2, that the pressure rolls 19 eny gage only the-opposite edges 20 of the sup- 'l width of the leaf that is to be cut.

yis

porting strip 20. 'The position of the cutters 24 on the shaft 23 determines, of course, the After the leaf is cut the user can readily pick up ythe severed strip of metallic leaf and apply it to whatever object he wishes. It iste be understood that the user can sever the strips transversely or longitudinallyby any suitable cutting means on the'conveyer. A

It may be stated that this device is reversible, that is to say, it may be used for forming the package roll 13 as well as for unwinding the same. This can be readily accomplished 'by rotating the shaft 15 by any suitable meansas by placing a crank 152 on the squared end 15 of the shaft 15, causing the supporting strip 20 and the leaf in contact therewith to be wound .on to the core 28, the suction box serving to cause the leaf to adhere to the conveyer where it can be cut, the pressure wheels' 19 being then made to extend across the machine, as shown by the dotted line '19 or, in other Words, as a single roller. In using the machine, the suction box can be made longer and, in making 'the packaging roll, the supporting strip comes ,into contact with the metal leaf prior to passing under the roller 19. It is also to be understood that the endless convcyer 9 may be electrified by means of a suitable friction device indicated at 9', whereb the metallic leaf and supporting strip will be attracted and adhere to the conveyer.

It is to be understood that when the term. table is used herein that it refers to the` -endless conveyer or other device upon which the leaf and supporting strip are placed.

It will be"seen from this construction that I have produced a device that readily permits the user of the gold leafto cut strips of the same in any desired Width or s1ze,.`

which can be used to advantage for the un! winding or the packaging of metallic leaf.

It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the cutting knife or disk 24'is located between the perforatio s in the conveyer 9, the pressure rollers 1 serving, as stated, toexert a lateral tensionl for the purpose of maintain-y ing the supporting strip in a'- stretched condition during the cuttingprocess.

What I cla-im isV 1. In aV device to' cut roll metallic leaf, anl

endless convyer uponl which the metallic ting table-means to unwind spaced 0r single leaves of roll metallic leaf upon the table, means to 'attract or 'hold the leaf tol the table, and means to cut the leaf on the l table.

cutting table,V means to unwind the leaf upon the table, means to attract or hold the leaf to the table, means to cut the leaf on the table.

3. In a device to cut roll metallic leaf, a i

4. In a 'device to cut metallic leaf, the 4 combination of an endless c onveyer, means to cause the leaf to travel therewith, acore'rotatably supported upon which the metallic leaf and supportingr strip may be wound, means to rotate the core with the movement of the conveyer, means to attract the leaf to the conveyer, means -to cut the leaf on the conveye'r. l v

In a device to.cut metallic leaf as desired, the combination ofa cutting table ,upon which the metallic leaf is placed, a-I'otatably supported core upon which the metallic leaf and supporting strip may be wound.v means to rotate the core with the movement of the table, means to attract the leaf to the table, means to .cut the leaf on the table.

6. ln a device to cut metallic leaf, a pel'- forated table upon which the metallic leaf is placed, suction means connected to the table. whereby the leaf is held to the table, so that the same may be out.

7. In a machine of the class described,

the combination, of a base member, rotatable drums mounted thereon, an endless perfo'- rated conveyor passing` over the drums, a suction device located relative to the convcyer, means to operate the drums, means to support a package roll relative to the convcyer. a tension device for the package strip and metallic leaf, and cutters located in operative relation to the leaf, whereby a strip of metallicleaf may be lsevered when the drums are operated. 4

I8. A vmachine to out metallic leaf', comgage the leaf when the same is,moved, as prising, in combination With a cutting surdescribed. A face' upon which the leaf to be cut is placed, a spporting strip, means to attract the leaf v5 on said. surface, means to impart movement Y Witnesses:

.to said surface to carry the strip and leafA HARRY W. BOWEN,

along therewith, and cutting `means. to' en- H. E. HARTWELL.

LEON M. HARWOOD. 

